Our Favorite Movies, Books & Eats of 2025
We always love sharing recommendations and realizations with this community (books! home decorating! panic-attack strategies!). So, as the year draws to a close, I asked our team about their favorite things of 2025. We’re missing Jannelle — who’s currently on leave after a very cinematic birth experience — but she’ll be back in March, and in the meantime, we hope you enjoy these recs from the rest of us. And, as always, we’d love to hear yours!
JOANNA, founder and editor
What I watched: Freddie and I were lucky enough to see a few Broadway plays this year, and the stand-out for me was Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York). The musical follows two people — a cynical, wry New Yorker and a charming, nervous Englishman — on their way to a wedding, and the lyrics are funny and heartfelt. It’s kind of like Fleabag with songs.
What I read: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, James by Percival Everett, and The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers. All different, all fantastic.
What I wore: Striped turtlenecks under sweaters, inspired by my friend Liz. And my feet have been FREEZING this winter (perimenopause?) so I just got three pairs of game-changing wool socks.
Recipes we enjoyed: Our family is very into these chicken pieces, which the boys devour. (I make them with peppers and onions instead of asparagus.) Also, shortbread (gift link), which is sooooooooo easy and incredible with a cup of coffee.
Things that made life easier: A set of Sabre cutlery, I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!! And an egg boiler, which makes perfect jammy eggs for breakfast, lunches, salads, and snacks. (Side note: Every time I eat a boiled egg, I think of this scene.)
Random things I learned: Freddie says bananas last longer when they’re not touching, so now I put them in a little row on our counter. And I love the idea of sealing a letter with a lipstick kiss, from Christina Grasso’s substack. SWAK!
KELSEY, contributing editor
What I watched: One afternoon, I took my five-year-old to see the animated film Hola Frida, mostly out of desperation, and to my surprise, it became one of my favorite movies of the year! As a grown-up! The story follows Frida Kahlo as a girl, surviving polio and discovering art during her recovery. It also touches on identity and ableism in such a nuanced way — and since it’s a children’s movie, it really moves.
Bonus: Margot was psyched to go see a real, live Frida Kahlo painting afterward.
What I wore: The Ori backpack is my favorite backpack for adults. It has all the stuff I need (like a secure laptop sleeve), and none of the stuff I don’t (like a built-in charger I will never use).
Beauty stuff: I wasn’t a big spender this year, but I did splurge on Goē Oil, and it was more than worth it. It calms my mild rosacea, and it’s a super hydrating winter moisturizer. Plus, I’m still on the same tube from almost a year ago!
Recipe we enjoyed: My faaaavorite five-minute dinner. I still make it at least once a week, and we haven’t gotten tired of it.
Something that made life easier: An electric, heated floor mat. Like many folks, my job requires sitting at a desk for long stretches, and at a certain point, the floor starts to feel like ice. I’ve tried space heaters, layered rugs, thick boots — but nothing works as well as the unattractive rectangle I bought in the dead of last winter. It’s a simple thing, but not having freezing cold feet all day has genuinely made me a more content person.
New-to-me activity: I joined a grief group! It feels weird to be excited about that, but one thing my grief group has taught me is that grief is very weird. I lost my dad in February, and it still sometimes feels so fresh and painful, and there’s a relief in being around others who get it. My group is part of The Dinner Party, a peer-support network, with “tables” all over the U.S. Each month we get together to eat, chat, and sometimes cry our eyes out.
Random thing I learned: When my dad died, an internet stranger told me to talk about him all the time, with everyone, and not even think about making people uncomfortable. It gave me permission I really needed, and helped so much.
KAITLYN, newsletter editor
What I watched: My husband and I tore through The Pitt, the tension-filled medical drama. We can’t wait for the second season to come out next month. We’ve also been making our way through Diane Keaton’s films, which helps soften the arrival of the Pacific Northwest’s Big Dark.
What I read: I devoured Jen Hatmaker’s divorce memoir Awake. I, too, grew up evangelical and appreciate reading stories of how people navigate the mess of leaving a faith community. The rest of my reading mostly centered on books that took place on islands or in the woods…lol…I am what I am: God of the Woods, Wild Dark Shore, The Serviceberry, Whale Fall.
Beauty stuff: I reach for VIOLETTE_FR’s Bisou Balm every day. I was intrigued by Nicki Sebastian’s description of it as blurred and matte and was delighted to find the bold color can easily be swiped on without a mirror. Low risk, high impact.
Recipe we enjoyed: This apple snacking cake was the best recipe I tried all year. In addition to fresh apples, it calls for the zest and juice of oranges and lemons, so our kitchen fills with a warm, spicy fragrance.
Something that made life easier: We started using an Etsy tablecloth, and I love the ruffles with the gingham. The chocolatey brown looks great with everything, too.
MAUREEN, partnerships and growth director
What I watched: Severance was incredible. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
What I read: The only book I finished this year (blame my toddlers) was Heart the Lover but omg I laughed and cried my eyes out and loved every single page.
What my kids wore: Tuffo Muddy Buddy for the win!
Beauty stuff: I treated myself to this perfume, which smells woody and fresh.
Recipe we enjoyed: I make a batch of granola once a week. Our family also started a loose tradition of dim-sum Sundays.
What I learned: You have to find the joy, or you’ll miss it! We had a tough year on very little sleep, and some days it was insanely hard to see how things were ever going to get better. My New Year’s resolution is to try very, very hard to practice finding “moments of joy” in my day. Three examples:
1. A beach vacation, where it poured but we made sandcastles anyway. 2. “I just closed the door a little bit.” 3. Up for the day at 4 a.m.! But we’re smiling!
What are your 2025 favorites, or things that made life easier, or new-to-you activities? Please share, if you’d like. We love you, and we’d love to hear. xoxoxo
P.S. The simplest dessert, and what’s the most helpful thing a therapist ever told you?
Comments
187 commentsFav quick bake of 2025 was this recipe. Now that Trader Joe’s sells tubes of almond paste, even easier to put together. Only rule: Use your favorite jam! https://sherisilver.com/2025/08/13/easy-apricot-almond-bars/
just jumping in to say Two Strangers debuted at the A.R.T. in Cambridge before it was picked up on Broadway. I saw it last year with a friend and also LOVED it. I’ve seen so many incredible shows at the A.R.T., if you are in the Boston area this theater is SUCH a gem. I took my 13yo to see Wonder last night and it was also incredible, I expect you’ll find it in NYC later this year.
I love these type of lists/posts/comments! Watched: My husband and I watched the entirety of The Nanny and it was glorious and funny and I sobbed at the last episode. We also are PUMPED for this last season of Stranger Things and can’t wait to see how they wrap up a wonderful series. Read: Wreck (Catherine Newman is my fave!!!!!!) , Long Bright River, Tilt, Wild Dark Shore, Sandwich (Told ya – Catherine love!), The Winter People, How to Keep House While Drowning, The Lost Bookshop. Apparently I read some really wonderful books. Wore: Adidas Breakneck Sleek Sneakers. I now own them in two colors. They are so comfy and make me feel cool. I know I’m not cool, but I can pretend. Ate: Probably way too much crap that’s bad for me and not nearly enough stuff that’s good for my body. Definitely something I want to work on in 2026. But also, more sourdough bread because I do love baking with sourdough! Mantra: I can only care about so many things. Ritual: Doing the House Hunt “quiz” on the NYT Morning Brief every Saturday morning while drinking my coffee Learning: Patience pays off…usually. For almost two years, I’ve been working hard and fighting for a raise at my job. I love what I do and I love where I work, but I also recognize that I’m not paid enough. My boss has been fighting for me to get one but kept hitting a wall. I’ve been patient. I’ve worked hard and continued to do my best. And today, I was told I got a 6% raise. So it was all worth it. (This was in addition to a 3% merit increase in September) Feeling really grateful.
I watched three films: Past Lives, which was mid for me but great writing, and Challengers and After the Hunt which I loved. I guess I’m a Guadagnino Stan. Although I read too much Reddit , I also read the following books. 1.1. Granada: The Complete Trilogy – Radwa Ashour 2. The Ottomans: Khans, Caesars and Caliphs – Marc David Baer 3. A Day in the Life of Abed Salama – Nathan Thrall 4. How Not to Be a Politician – Rory Stewart 5. Careless People – Sarah Wynn-Williams 6. Chums – Simon Kuper 7. A Single Man – Christopher Isherwood 8. A Month in Siena – Hisham Matar 9. The Unaccountability Machine – Dan Davies 10. The BUried – Peter Hessler 11. Debt the first 5000 years – David Graeber 12. 4000 weeks time management for mortals by Oliver Berkman 13. martyr! Kaveri Akbar 14. There there Tommy orange 15. Discovery of the Nile – Tim Heal 16. Catastrophe and Systemic Change: Learning from the Grenfell Tower Fire and Other Disasters-Gill Kernick 17. A history of Egypt- Hamilton 18. Persepolis – Marjane Satrapi 19. concise history of the Middle East 20. Death by the Nile and other stories – Nawal el Sadaawi 21. The Venetian Empire Jan Morris
Great reading list! Thank you for sharing them all. Will note the ones I haven’t read. Also a big Guadagnino fan.:)
Thank you to the COJ community for being so generous in your recommendations! Here ae some highlights of 2025: Watched: Slow Horses, Apple Cider Vinegar, Nobody Wants This, Dying for Sex Read: Wild Dark Shore, All The Colors of The Dark, Real Americans, The Song of Achilles Wore: Everlane’s The Way High Curve Jean + a thrifted red cashmere sweater + gold hoops + leopard print sabahs on repeat Ate: I wasn’t in a cooking mode this year, so we did lots of rotisserie chicken + salads, tacos, and salmon/rice/broccoli bowls I’m ready for 2025 to wrap up, and have high hopes for a shift in 2026: a big work project wrapping up in January, pretty certain we’ll move about 90 minutes north, out of the city, changing therapists, refocusing on my feminine energy. I’m looking forward to it.
Apple Cider Vinegar was heartbreaking. As a former alternative/woo/ holistic anything neoprene, my gosh, I related. And found it terrifying. So many (women especially) are dismissed by medical doctors, and are left floundering, looking for hope anywhere, desperate for answers and for anyone who will actually listen. And the wellness gurus do. They listen. They empathize. They spent time and make you feel validated. They are only too happy to diagnose (incorrectly) and prescribe (nonsense) and take your money. And hope. No one talks about where you end up when none of it works. Hopeless. I will be forever grateful that a clever and curious surgeon finally recognized my genetic condition and helped me in a path to find real hero. So many never get that.
Dying for Sex was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. I was amazed at how many emotions I went through while watching. I sobbed the last episode. It was one of the best episodes of a show I’ve ever seen.
A few of mine….. 1) Mr. Rogers cardigans…comfy, oversized not too warm…Got several from Old Navy..do double duty as a short robe. 2) Haricort Vert picto charms…discovered them online, and went to a pop up here in Seattle..Fun, funky and unique jewelry made in Brooklyn! 3) Trinket trays…all kinds! Great for holding beads while I’m working on a project, pinch trays for salt, fun and easy gift! 4) Sumo oranges! Tons of fiber, vitamin C, and tasty! 5) Fave books: The Correspondent, The heart of Winter, Ina Garten’s bio.
Thanks for sharing so much good stuff! I’ve already put a few books on hold :) I’ve been a fan of your site for over a decade- and I love how in addition to the lifestyle content, you’ve used your voice and platform to address current events and injustice. Wondering if you’d reconsider linking to Target for now? (Saw it for the link to the egg cooker.) Did you see how Indivisible was calling for a boycott of Amazon, Target, and Home Depot over the Black Friday holiday shopping weekend? Even though it’s past that weekend, continuing a Target boycott is something many people are doing. As for the rationale for boycotting Target, this is what Indivisible shared “Target, which once branded itself as the friendly, inclusive big-box store, has now scrapped its DEI goals and scaled back LGBTQ+ offerings to avoid angering the regime.”
What I watched: Rewatching some 90s sitcoms because I yearn for a world without social media and its shallow, sometimes toxic version of “connection.” What I read: I Who Have Never Known Men, God of the Woods, American Bulk (a very funny, well-written book of essays – memoir interspersed with social critiques – about consumerism). What I wore: Beanies, lately, which gives me an extra day of not washing my hair while still looking cute. Recipes I enjoyed: I bought a bunch of heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo this year, and two winning uses have been broad beans with kale, leeks, and lemon; and Rio Zape beans with spanish rice, frozen Trader Joe’s plantains, and a big dollop of guacamole. What I’ve learned: No matter the format or purpose, I will NEVER keep a journal. Let’s see if that lesson sticks into next year (usually not).
Kat, I’m curious about your journal lesson! I’ve had to learn the same lesson and I’ve developed a theory about who does and does not journal. Do you have an inner monologue? I
Hi Kat, I failed at journaling too until I read Ross Gay’s The Book of Delights, both audio and print. Such a wonderful book by an interesting person. That prompted me around Thanksgiving 2020, to start a Gratitude Journal. Just a daily or every 2, 3, or 4 days, entry on 1 page. A column on the left “D” for Delights. A column on the “G” for gratitude. Find a notebook and pen that feel good, if that’s your jam. I use a Moleskin 5 x 8 and a black Uniball Vision fine point. I am able to keep it positive for myself, and love going back to past entries on the same date to see what was what. This dark of year, when I forget how SAD impacts me, I reread the entries and slap my forehead. Of course I am overeating, have holiday guilt, sleeping 10+ hours every single December. Good luck!
Your journal lesson feels familiar. I’ve let my journal-notebook-todo list -book note taking converge into one volume. The chaos used to bother me but now it, somehow, clarifies the monkey mind.
I realized this about myself, re Journaling, a whole ago. Nope. No Journaling. But I do keep lists. In Keep notes on my phone. Practical ones like the Costco list, menus for family dinners, tbr lists, goofy ideas, but also glimmers, good things that happen, ideas for creative projects, words I love, ways to save a bad day. Not the same, but also fulfills some of the same gifts from Journaling I think.
Sasha in Montana can we get some insight into the “how to save a bad day” note? I’m intrigued and want to work on staying grounded in my own emotions/lifting my own mood.
What I watched: I rewatched the entire series of The Nanny and have started rewatching The Mindy Project. I needed comedy and good lady writers in my life this year. What I read: Kings of the Yukon—a memoir about canoeing the Yukon River and the role of King Salmon in the ecosystems surrounding it. What I wore: wool slippers from Baabuk and stretchy pants. Recipes I enjoyed: I am officially an instant pot mom. I made Russian rice and lamb pilaf that my kids devoured. Things that made life easier: I’m learning how to say “no I’m not going to do that” and trusting that other people will take care of it. Random things I learned: My first ancestor in North America came in 1749 and bought (“bought”) land from the Penn family in what’s now Pennsylvania.
TV twins! Also love The Nanny and The Mindy Project! Same vibe and both make me snort-laugh. My other favorite lady TV writer – Winnie Holzman / My So-Called Life (also of Wicked fame)! What a gem.
My best discoveries this year: Watched: I’m pretty sure it’s about to be Hamnet. Read: The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt Wore: I committed to navy as a wardrobe foundation color. Beauty: Merit The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Stick Ate: Cappello’s frozen gluten free ravioli tastes real. Drank: Amaro Averna with San Pellegrino Limonata. Eased: Unapologetic rest. Random: I’ve been unlearning some things I thought were facts when I was a Gen X 20-something, as I parent my 20-something Gen Z.
movies i loved: One Battle After Another, Sinners, Sentimental Value, “Sorry, Baby”, Nouvelle Vague, Hamnet. I want to give a shoutout to going to the movies. I love sitting in the dark, next to people, all having a immersive emotional experience together. It can’t be beat. Books: This year I decided to read Jane Austen’s books in order of publication. I didn’t make it, I ended up reading Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion, but I enjoyed it so much. I also read all of Deborah Crombie’s Kincaid and James mystery series. I can’t recommend them enough, they are so well-written and warm. I can’t wait until #20 comes out. They deserve to be just as popular as Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache.
Second the Gemma and Kincaid books!!
Read over 95 books this year, watched so many great movies and shows, learned so much about myself, ate food blah blah blah, but all I have space in my heart for right now is Heated Rivalry. This TV show. The yearning, the horniness, the ACTING, the writing, the joy! I will be banging this drum for the foreseeable future.
Cannot wait to watch!
It’s so amazing, right?!?! This is both actors first major role! The one playing Ilya learned Russian for it! I’m obsessed.
Tracey I want to know more about your books
Yes!!! There is so much to engage with through this show and the books (for me, Heared Rivalry, Role Model, and The Long Game are the favorites and where I’d start). You can be there for spice, sure, but also to learn how to be an ally, to have greater empathy, and (as I did – and what a thrill to have my comment about it included in a weekly wrap up here), to realize you only have this one life and can be happier when more openly yourself, speaking clearly about what you want and need. I can’t wait to see what Jacob Tierney does with The Long Game, when Ilya has to deal with his trauma and depression and learns to communicate his needs to a very anxious Shane (plus his new teammates are so fun!). Joanna – I can’t wait to hear your reactions!!!
There it is! We need Heated Rivalry! It is such a source of joy for me right now, in a year that has been a rollercoaster, as the world is burning, as I’m parenting a toddler. I’m so happy to just disappear into this hockey romance – I’m already anticipating a rewatch!
GURL!!!!
A 2025 favorite, thing that made life easier, and new-to-me activity all in one: I’ve been writing regularly for Postcards to Voters ( https://postcardstovoters.org/ ), an organization that supports Democrat election campaigns by coordinating hand-written postcards to remind registered Dem voters of upcoming elections. 2025 has been a devastating year, in no small part due to the current administration’s efforts to destroy vital institutions, civil rights, and just like… the fabric of free society. I don’t think elections alone are going to save us, but they’re a way to fight back, and writing for these campaigns feels like a way to help stop the bleeding, if that makes sense? It has kept me from going completely mad with despair. I cannot recommend it enough. On a more self-serving level, it’s also just a nice tactile hobby, a creative outlet (decorating the postcards—the messages are provided verbatim haha), and an excuse to use stationary haha.
Yes, I write for Postcards to Voters too! I feel so proud when one of the candidates/issues wins the election, because I know I had a (small) part in making it happen.
Love this kind of list: Watched: Shrinking was so incredible, so funny and heart-wrenching and funny and touching and did I mention funny? The Diplomat because, geez Keri Russell. Read: Heart the Lover and it’s corresponding book Writers and Lovers, The Kingkiller Chronicles (Name of the Wind and the Wise Man’s Fear) – rearead for the 4th time and *still* waiting for the 3rd book but still the best fantasy series, The Wedding People, Bel Canto, Braiding Sweetgrass Wore: agreed Bisou Balm – in every color, tho Betise is still my favorite. True botanicals Pure Radiance Oil which has done wonders for my dry skin Body-love: finished year of the BMethod (think pilates meets movement therapy meets strength meets pelvic floor PT) and still loving it so much. Ate: so much Skippys natural peanut butter on bay’s sourdough english muffins. The diet conspirators can take that glory from my cold dead sticky fingers. Mantra: in all things, be grateful…which is bonkers when the world is going to hell but hope and gratefulness for me is the antidote to just keep going. My kids are sick for the second time this week (norovirus now influenza) and our Christmas plans are dashed to hell BUT we’re home, we’re safe, this too shall pass.
One of my favorite things I’ve been wanting to recommend here is the Instagram account @modelstrangers. Christopher Ward is a Belfast based street photographer and each post is a video of him asking people if he may take their picture followed by questions about their life (What makes you happy? If you could go back in time to your younger self, what advice would you give?). Each profiled person, the responses and the portraits always leave me deeply moved.
Dino.serrao Is similar. So wonderful and interesting and hopeful. This is what the internet is for right?
This year my divorce was finalized (yay!) and I received an ADHD diagnosis (also yay!) which has led to work with a therapist on my people-pleasing and social anxiety (triple yay!). This felt like a year of clarity for me. Next year I’m planning to curb my impulse spending (see ADHD diagnosis above) by allowing myself to buy one item at the end of every month. I hope I can stick to it! I really have to love something for it to be my ONE item! My favorite books: God of the Woods, All Fours and The Book of Love. I adore this community, and sending hope and continued clarity to us all for 2026.
Love this roundup! Some things I loved this year: -Fave books: Crying in H Mart, God of the Woods, and Heart the Lover -Fave albums: Jeff Tweedy’s Twilight Override, Haim’s I Quit -Fave movie: Hamnet (just stunning) -Fave beauty products: Sisters Earth Tones Scent Oil (SO good), SOSHE Beauty eyeliner in Nights in Bordeaux (a gorgeous plum color), Lemonhead Space Paste glitter, Bisou Balm! -Fave movies:
I read Crying in H Mart last year! I thought it would be a good read after my mom died and I didn’t resonate with all of it, but there was a distinct moment of slipping into my mom’s shoes to run out for an errand—she describes something similar in the memoir—and reading it I remembered my moment and I thought, yes…what a human moment.
Watched: In January, when I am really bedded down I get into binging SNL. It feels like it lights up my home with all the laughter. I also recently let my ten year old watch some Brooklyn 99 and it was fun to do an “adult” episode together. Read: The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow. Absolute God-tier, I thought she’d already expanded my heart to max capacity with previous work but my world is again bigger and juicier because of her words. Top 5 other reads include: The Fox Wife, Thorn Hedge, American Rapture, Part of Your World, The Bear and the Nightingale Beauty: I started wearing liquid liner! Previously was so afraid of it but turns out to look SO good! Recipe: I feel so gratified any time my small kids deign to eat my food. I like almost every recipe in Cook This Book.
Three cheers for the tuffo muddy-buddy! Definitely one of my top 5 good parenting decisions.
that dumb little floor heater is about to change my life I just know it. Sending it to my husband so he can buy it for me for christmas. (soooo romantic lol)
This made me laugh, but same! I’m so over turning my space heater on and off and never getting my feel truly warm. I’m so excited :)
Reading now: A Very Irish Christmas (6th anthology), these wonderful Irish voices keeping me company on these gloomy evenings. Eat: Snacking on a lot kalamata olives (with pits please for best texture) and Spanish farmers cheese. Beauty: Nars multi stick Orgasm (late to the game, now a staple) Watch: 90s movies (rewatch or newly discovered) New flowers to love: Cosmos and foxgloves New moves: Ballet basics and dumbbell videos with Caroline Girvan
Books: I read about 75 books a year, so picking one or two is hard! Special call out to Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy, which I picked up only because a COJ comment listed it among other books I’ve enjoyed. Sadly I haven’t been able to find the comment to stalk the comments sections for other recommendations from the same reader. <3 Other favorites: Everyday Something Has Tried to Kill Me and Has Failed (Kim McLarin); Murderbot series (Martha Wells); The Feather Thief (Kirk Wallace Johnson); The Eyes and the Impossible (Dave Eggers, fantastically narrated by Etan Hawke); Solito (Javier Zamora); All of Us Murderers (KJ Charles). Small screen: Andor. The youtube channel Tasting History joined our family’s regular rotation. Big screen: The Wild Robot. Beautiful, visually and emotionally. Food: Butterbaby cheese from Briar Rose Creamery. Pairs well with my longtime favorite, Drunken Goat. Learned: “Goodbye” is an amalgamation of “God be with you.”
Have you read Charlotte McConaghy’s latest book – Deep Dark Shore? As a librarian I place it into someone’s hands almost every shift. (I also met her and she’s is as eloquent in person and so lovely).
ooops Wild Dark Shore…
The Wild Robot just wrecked me, both my girls (5 and 9) and I sobbed and sobbed and sobbed
I’m rarely on the cutting edge when it comes to books. I usually like to let them simmer for a few years to see which ones people are still talking about. My favorite books that I read this past year are: Brooklyn by Colm Toiben (after a lot of recommendations here!) Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (I have loved everything I’ve read by her) The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (same as above – one of my favorite authors) And probably my favorite of the year: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. How has it taken me so long to read?! The book isn’t overly flowery or melodramatic in its darker moments, but it really emotionally affected me, and honestly helped me to process some things from my childhood.
Bel Canto was a dream, a fever dream a bit, but a dream nonetheless. loved it.
I recently read a Tree Grows in Brooklyn (well, a couple years ago) and was changed by it. I grew up in a house with alcoholism and reading the story I felt so seen, even 40 years later. I wonder how it would have landed if I read it as a child, but I guess I just have to trust it came to me at the right time.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is my absolute favorite book, a real treasure.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn has remained my all time favorite since I was 12!
My Libby app tells me i’ve read 43 books this year, plus I’ve read a few paper books in between, so i’m feeling pretty proud! My reading really picked up after I had a baby in May – sooo much reading while breastfeeding or nap-trapped. Some of my favorites: Wild Dark Shore, The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies (and its follow-up, The Ladies’ Road Guide to Utter Ruin), James, Like Water for Chocolate (late to that party), Millicent Quibb. Lots more were heartily enjoyed; some I don’t quite get what all the fuss is about (looking at you, Heart the Lover…)
I agree with you re: Heart the Lover! My book club loved it. I thought it was good, but just too darn sad. It also made me feel old (as an mom of elementary school kids with a “5” as the first number of my age). SPOILER: Why spend so much time next to an old lover’s bed when your own child is on the brink of a major life-changing surgery!?!
What is that chocolate cookie bar in the bottom left photo of the top 4 header photos? They look divine, would love to make them!
It’s another NYT shortbread recipe — the fancy version. Here’s a gift link! 🙂
My cousin wrote Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) !! This is exciting haha
loved it!
I’m finishing my 44th read as I write (I’m retired) so for me 2025 was filled with amazing reads-most mentioned here regularly. My favorite Librarian was so generous retrieving many titles through their network. None stood out more for me than Nathan Hill’s two novels, Wellness and The Nix. I was captivated by his storytelling. My thxs to all of you for expanded the pleasure of reading broadly. I loved Netflix’s black and white retelling of Ripley. Apple tv programming kept me entertained all year and is my fav streaming service. I stopped eating meat this year. I feel much better. I stopped eating after5pm most days. I only enjoy a mid morning snack and a light dinner. So my meal plan for myself has changed but I cook/bake/shop the same for hubs. It’s not all roses though- The government shutdown impacted our son but we had the pleasure of his company and focused on being together. Thankfully, his dept. is funded. My parents (live in CA) are 97 and 90. Still live at home, Mom still drives but I’ve been out there more than ever to add safeguards. While I’m so proud that their life long wellness has paid off, I am trying to prepare for that ”call” from my sibs.
+1 to Nathan Hill!!
I loved Ripley!
So glad to be reminded of Violette_FR’s Bisou Balm! I have been looking for a cheery, raspberry shade for winter that’s not too lipstick-y. Just ordered it in Sucette and am excited it will be here in time for next week’s family parties. My favorite reads this year were on so many favorites lists this year: The Road to Tender Hearts (try the audiobook – the narrator was born to read this novel aloud) and Good Material by Dolly Alderton. The last chapter! How I swooned. Under the category of “let me catch up on shows everyone else on the planet watched 15-25 years ago,” I finished The Sopranos in February (magnificent) and just started Mad Men, which is beguiling so far.
Sucette is the loveliest rasberry color ever, enjoy! In my top 2 favorite colors (I own them all….)
YES to The Road to Tender Hearts, and also Good Material–very niche reading which I loved too. Try Alderton’s Ghosts (her first?) and also The Rachel Incident, which I read and found excellent. Such good reading.
I loved Mad Men. I mourned when it was finished. I was actually crying the next day. Watched it a few years ago. I watched The Sopranos earlier this year late at night by myself. That was fun. Actually watched both of those series that way. Missed both when over but especially Mad Men. During the same time period I was watching The Sopranos, I also watched Gossip Girl. That was fun too. Those were the days before I had to start working again in March of this year. Miss those late nights, and also long sunny days reading on the porch.
“Astronaut” by Taylor Jenkins Reid was the best book I read all year / in years. LOVED all of it. The best thing I did for myself was starting to lift heavy weights with a trainer once a week at the community center. It’s a splurge, but has made this middle age mom feel capable and strong which I haven’t felt in a very long time. Lastly, forever and always, Epsom salt baths every night. Dr. Teal’s Rose is a current favorite :)
I started lifting heavy weights this year too a few times a week at a gym about one mile from my home and I find I really love it (I expected it would be drudgery). I zip in and out in 30-45 minutes and can’t believe how much stronger and more fit I am.
how did you find this love? I KNOW I am supposed to lift weights (the heavier the better) and I am objectively a fit person, who will benefit from lifting weights to get stronger (I enjoy subjecting myself to 80 – 100 km bike rides – with hills). However, I just HATE weights. What are your mental tricks? (It is better if I follow a class because at least is it obviously that you really shouldn’t stop after 1 set).
Ha! Believe me, my love of weights didn’t happen overnight. I was a little slow getting into it but was able to psych myself up when walking out the door during those early days by saying “30 minutes and I’ll be done.” Good music to listen has helped a lot (Lily Allen’s West End Girl, omg), as has tracking my progress on a spreadsheet so I know how much I am lifting from session to session and can increase as I need to. (I open the spreadsheet on my phone and check weight amounts as I am moving through the gym.) I also try to make it fun by trying new moves/machines and not bothering with things I don’t like. My shoulders aren’t strong enough yet for pull ups (even assisted ones) and I think some leg moves are such an absolute snore that I’ll never do them again, but, for example, I look forward every time to a few sets of bouncing a heavy medicine ball off a propped up mini trampoline while doing squats. Do what you enjoy and forget the rest! I don’t aim for perfection and I’ll never win any strength training contests, but I have fun with it and I love knowing how good it is for my 46 yo bones and body.
Atmosphere! Sorry (sleep deprived mom in December…)
Anyone who wants to explore the women’s lifting journey should read A Physical Education by Casey Johnston. Journalistic, memoir, science education, and a good audiobook narration. A good reminder that we’re all able to be novices and survive the vulnerability! https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-physical-education-how-i-escaped-diet-culture-and-gained-the-power-of-lifting-casey-johnston/2322c25d4f265a90?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=dsa_nonbrand&utm_content=%7Badgroupname%7D&utm_term=aud-1721779758455:dsa-19959388920&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=12440232635&gbraid=0AAAAACfld4331xwUmYRn_8eNturPRM6Ny&gclid=Cj0KCQiAjJTKBhCjARIsAIMC44_VPdgUoR0Q99s9Ac6hL4dwdym_fOO18FveZDhEofHrXwite9PaqJIaAq3sEALw_wcB
Re: the Correspondent, I am about an hour, hour and half in on audio and find it sooooo dull…an old woman prattling on about nothing. Should I keep on the slog because it gets better, or is this a “good for her, not for me” moment? It’s recommended by so many but I just don’t…get it? I felt the same way about Tom Lake and DNF’s early…and they seem similar to me in theme. But if it takes a turn I’d love to know!
@Sarah Levy, put down The Correspondent and don’t feel bad about it. My book club read it and I thought it was dreadful. Like you, I listened to the audiobook, and I found the protagonist fully insufferable. This book was my #1 “good for you, not for me” moment this year!
life’s too short! very rarely do i feel this way about a book and actually end up joying it. go ahead and DNF!
I felt the same way about Tom Lake. Like what was everyone going on about! I found it so dull. I wondered if that would be the same situation with the correspondant because I don’t like epistolary novels. I think we may have similar taste…thanks for sharing your opinion, not going to bother with it! 😂
If picking up a book feels like a chore, it’s time to move on. My general rule is to give a book four chapters; I’ve changed my mind about a book early on, but I haven’t found one that changed my mind after that point when I trudged on. (I admit to being stubborn enough that I too often go to 60-100%.)
Dang, I was looking forward to reading the Correspondent. But I also thought Tom Lake was terrible, I even fast-forwarded through Meryl Streep’s wonderful voice to just get it over with. I didn’t like Dutch House either, so maybe Ann Patchett and others with her style is not for me.
Ha–I read and enjoyed The Correspondent, but I was NOT knocked over by it. I “got” some of the hidden stuff before the big reveal, and, overall, it was in good but not great territory for me. Give me Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine any day!
I loved The Correspondent. But I did not like Tom Lake at all. I found it ridiculous. I hope it’s not too much of a spoiler to say I could not stand how the main character pined about her daughter not having kids. How antiquated. I think she was making a baby quilt and whining about how daughter did not want to have kids. It was incongruent with the character who was supposed to be otherwise open minded ? It’s been awhile but that’s the gist. Other things bugged me too but will cease my spoilers.
I also didn’t really like Tom Lake. And the Correspondent was SO slow I stopped reading it twice. But then, it picked up and I read the whole thing and loved it. It was beautiful to see the characters face themselves, the most painful parts of their past, what they had done, and find love and connection. I’m so happy I stuck with it. However, I didn’t listen to it, so it’s possible the letter format/story feels especially ick via audiobook. I am a big fan of putting down books I’m not enjoying. So you do you! But wanted to share my perspective.
2025 was a really hard year for me, after a number of really hard years. As I face down the possible end of a beautiful and loving 10 year relationship I’ve given everything to, it’s hard not to reflect on the year with only grief. But, there were other things too… favourite thing i watched – these days silly as it is the eras tour documentary is bringing me a lot of comfort. taylor swift….my feelings are complicated! but I am finding there is a lot I can relate to in it…finding meaning in my work, thinking about leadership, and the idea of a person who sees and loves my whole self. embarrassed at how much it makes me cry. favourite thing i ate: my partner made us gorgeous gorgeous lobster rolls this spring during lobster season. i’ve been trying to enjoy cooking again and recently made a white bean and kale stew that feels like comfort food to me. new activity: i started a new part time job after five years of being fully self-employed. it honestly feels amazing to be paid hourly and consistently, even on bad days, after years of putting all of myself into my business for inconsistent returns. something i learned this year: i can always count on myself. and time spent investing in myself is never wasted. <3 these past two years have been so so hard but i'll be so much stronger on the other side.
❤️
Favorite shows were The Lowdown (created by Sterlin Harjo who also created Reservation Dogs, Ethan Hawke in the lead but the whole cast is fabulous), Slow Horses, and Hacks. And Sinners was an amazing movie (and I say this even though I do not like horror films, but these days real life is a horror show, so might as well). Favorite recipes were from Ali Stafford: 4-Ingredient Roasted Red Pepper Dressing, and Homemade Grandma-Style Pizza. Her method for pie crust was also a win. currently reading This is Happiness by Niall Williams (gorgeous writing). Favorite skincare products have been from Ora’s Amazing Herbal – body oils, ultra healing body butter, and calendula salve. favorite clothing purchase was a white cotton lace shirt from Boden. Favorite podcast was Richard Hatem’s Paranormal Bookshelf. I like what I like. favorite social media accounts: Melani Sanders’ We Do Not Care Club, Jen Psaki on IG, and Barbara Brown Taylor on Substack, also Jane Gindin, who lost her job with USAid and in response decided to bike around Europe and write about it.
I have adored reading Helen Garner’s collected diaries, titled How to Tell A Story. Even if you’re not familiar with her or her other work, the diaries are gorgeously observed and full of insights on what makes a life.
I love Helen Garner’s writing. My intro to her was here and I reread it often. https://www.themonthly.com.au/may-2015/vox/insults-age
Here’s another good one: https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2022/10/03/i-so-love-being-old-and-not-married/
Thanks, Nigerian Girl. Helen’s words are exquisite.
And a link with less friction on Literary Hub…https://lithub.com/the-insults-of-age/
Lovely post. The book that left the biggest impression on me this year is The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden. WOW.
Yes! I went in not having read the summary (which I try to do with most books) and that made the unfolding of the story even more beautiful. An incredible book.
Loved Safekeep too! Great read.
Watching: Heated Rivalry. On repeat 🔥
Saaaame
ME TOO! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!
I want to make that apple cake immediately, but would have to eat the whole thing myself, because my husband is weird. Clearly I need to invite some people over for dinner asap.
I have the same problem since my husband isn’t big on baked goods so I made it for a dinner party. But also, he loved it and has asked for it again! xo
What a wonderful post! Lots of peaks into daily challenges and day brighteners! Much needed. And ordered a couple on the spot!
I love this post! I also really enjoyed Heart The Lover, a favourite this year, along with Deep Cuts, The Book of Love and an Australian one I’ve suddenly forgotten the name of. I also read The Talented Me Ripley and saw the play with my daughter, it was brilliant. Something that made life better was our dog April, such joy! She’s changed us and helped us feel really connected to our community. She’s such a ray of sunshine and has been wonderful as we have navigated a tough year medically. Another great thing has been job sharing at work and a little think that’s made life easier has been our rice cooker. Boring but good.
Books: Stone Yard Devotional, Dream Count, Happy all the Time, The Safekeep, Western Lane. TV: Sex and the City (I’m late, I know), Task, The Day of the Jackal,The Girlfriend. Podcasts: IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, Untold Legends: Hedy Lamarr, Net-a-Porter Presents Incredible Women, Confessions of a Female Founder with Meghan. Film: No movie released this year has ‘wowed’ me so far. I did like Materialists and Roofman, though. And I enjoyed old movies like Boys on the Side and Honeymoon in Vegas. Discovery: NYT Cooking. Their YouTube videos are so calming at night.
This made me giggle “(I’m late, I know)” I know the feeling and it is lovely to find/explore sth in your own timeline :) Re. films – if you haven’t seen it yet – “The Ballad of Wallis Island” was maybe not a screaming wow, yet an even more wonderful wooooww of the heart (for me). Maybe you would want to try it out, too. Have a lovely weekend :)
Oops, Music: The Art of Loving by Olivia Dean. So good. @Charlotte, Thanks for the rec. Have a lovely weekend too.
Same on movies, until last week when I watched Sentimental Value, easily my fav movie of the year. It is absolutely fantastic. Stars Stellan Skaarsgard, Dakota Fanning and Renate Reinsve. Renate starred in Worst Person in the World, fantastic movie, terrible title.
How fun: -reading: I consult years past ‘best of’ lists from NPR (especially for cookbooks, my for-fun reads!), they’re usually on deck at the library :) -cooking: landing on favorite authors, instead of going through my hundreds of favorite recipes, has upped my cooking game x 10. I love Julia Turshen or Amateur Gourmet everything-delicious, not fussy, written with heart = dinner wins for me -wearing: just the solids that make me look put together + I can bend/run in (my baby just learned to sprint!) but I’ve upped my perfume game with samples from lucky scent! It’s a treat, and about $35 for 5 samples of luxurious, gorgeous scents that make me feel glam Watching: old top chefs :) by around 7:30, my brain is zapped in the best way. My spouse and I crack up at our intense discourse over a dish made 12 years ago? Love peeking at your 2025’s, wow I am grateful for this internet spot. I left my corporate job/life to be at home with said sprinter toddler this year, so my goal is to bring bravery into ’26 with me. And probably many if the ideas provided by you all :)
The 2025 book I’ve loved is “Rasing Hare” by Chloe Dalton. It’s sooooo enchanting! A loving, delicate book that describes Dalton’s experience of sharing her house/life/garden with a wild hare for several years. I found Dalton herself to be such a fascinating character in the story (even tho she doesn’t present it that way), and her descriptions of the hare and its ways are just beautiful and so charming. It’s one of those books I read non-stop, every spare minute I could, until about 15 pages from the end, when I suddenly stopped because (I realized after a couple days) I couldn’t bear for it to end. (Anyone else do that?)
Favorite Books: Notes on Infinity & Buckeye Favorite Shows: Real Housewives of Salt Lake City & Amandaland Favorite Movies: I’ve really enjoyed watching old films of beloved actors and directors as a tribute to those who passed away this year. Robert Redford’s wardrobe in Three Days of the Condor is sooo good. Favorite New Products: Crown Affair Leave in Conditioner & SKIMS Fits Everyone underwear Favorite New Activity: I joined a collage making workshop and it was SO FUN. I used to make collages all the time growing up and it felt really good to reconnect with an old hobby (especially one that keeps my hands busy and off my phone!)
My husband and I watched Three Days in the Condor and I had manor envy for Robert Redford’s wardrobe! Denim on denim and the peacoat?! Swoon.
Oh gosh it’s been such a big year. Second child starting childcare and me back to work, first child starting kindergarten, navigating aging parents and in laws in ways I could never have possibly guessed. Love the advice about speaking about your dad, when I miserably welcome friends to the ‘dead dads club’ I always say ‘you’ll carry him with you, it won’t be the same, but you get to talk to him whenever you want, talk about him to anyone you want, and bring him along with you always.’ Made a difference, Nee Doh squishies (recommended by my son’s OT but now I give them as gifts, everyone LOVES them), watching Death In Paradise, making Mark Bitman’s banana bread from NYT cooking (coconut!) and Neutrogena Light Sesame Body Oil, a tip from this community! I love it, and because it’s cheap and cheerful I use it with abandon every night.
Favourite books of the year are Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession, The women by Kristin Hannah, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, and Recipe for Life by Mary Berry. My favourite item of the year which has changed my life is a heated under blanket for my bed, going to bed is now a dream and such a joy to get into a warm bed. I will even put it on and go and sit there to read instead of heating up the whole house. If I get up in the night for a wee then I put it on for an hour afterwards to warm up my freezing feet.
The top two books for me this year, which I recommend to anyone, were: The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett … quirky, moving, in turns sad and funny. A nice look at all the shapes and sizes of family relationships (those we are blood related to, those we choose, those we feel obliged to choose, etc.) Good with Money by Emma Edwards … in an attempt to finally make good on my promise to myself to start planning for my financial future, I picked this one up. The first 3/4 of the book go through the ways we think/feel/act about money (especially as women!) and how that impacts our financial lives, and then the last section is more practical. But the whole thing has guided exercises to understand yourself and the patterns you may want to change. It’s so good, cannot recommend enough if you’re wanting an extremely kind, practical approach to getting in control of your financial life.
Read/ watched- Gaza Genocide by Israel Beauty- switched back to using a soap. No more quest for the perfect bottle/ long lasting pump, smaller carbon footprint. Continuing CRUELTY FREE products. BTW, is that Bisou Balm cruelty free? If not, it’ll be the Bisou of death for many animals. Food- simple food on repeat. Did you know that an octopus is as intelligent as a 5/6 year old kid? A kid. I hope you’ll remember it when you buy food. Joanna, try a mock neck under a sweater, better yet a sleeveless one, those are less intrusive.
You must be a gas at parties.
Holy smokes, I really hope you find some moments of lightness in 2026 <3
Movies: One Battle After Another, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Ugly Stepsister, Naked Gun, The Worst Person in the World, Sinners, rewatching Popstar and Real Genius for the 728372nd time. TV: The Pitt, Righteous Gemstones, Adolescence, Dying for Sex, Bob’s Burgers, Shrinking. Books:The Husbands, anything Mhairi McFarlane, The Wedding People, Sign Here Stuff: pretty earrings I bought at an art show, a new robe, Chanel Chance perfume, wildflower seeds, a heated blanket with foot pockets. Something I’ve Made: a great bourbon and apple cider cocktail with rosemary infused maple syrup, cream of crab soup for my Baltimore born husband, multiple Dutch baby pancakes, Marcella Hazan’s bolognese, soooo many caprese sandwiches over the summer. Things that Made Me Happy: my husband, my floof Reilly, helping my brother with his credit card debt, the Eagles winning the Super Bowl, seeing Aimee Mann and Ted Leo live, my best friend and his husband starting the adoption process, filling a little food pantry on my way home from the grocery store, funs trips to NYC, Mexico, and Harper’s Ferry.
Naked Gun was so ejoyable! The laughs I laughed!
Best book of the year: The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow–it seems like a fantasy but it’s actually so much more than that–it’s a time travel love story about war and propaganda and how about the stories we tell ourselves as a nation impact our history. I can’t stop thinking about it. I don’t think I really had a favorite movie this year. My daughter is 13 and very into theater and as we live in Los Angeles, we have a lot of access to Broadway tours so we try to see a lot of shows, as well as seeing shows wherever we travel. Two I loved in particular this year were Suffs and the new adaptation of Anne of Green Gables that premiered in Stratford Ontario Canada (I SOBBED in the best way possible while grinning my head off, it was gorgeous). Best meal we ate as a family–a pub in London where I had the most fantastic chicken pie, my husband had incredible bangers and mash and my daughter devoured a huge beef pie and I had my new favorite hard cider–a swedish one that’s strawberry and lime and luckily my local Cost Plus World Market carries it!
I just visited nyc and saw two strangers show. It was fantastic and loved both of the actors. Highly recommend also.
i gave birth to my first (and likely only) bub as a 40-something so i’ve barely watched anything at all (is it just me who couldn’t watch anything during night feeds?) or worn anything other than a nursing-friendly cami most of the year. of a handful of books i managed to read, i was most taken by ‘the burrow’ by melanie cheng and ‘things in nature merely grow’ by yiyun li – both about loss of children oddly enough. the grief in these books somehow helped manage my peripartum anxieties in an unexpected way.
No, it is not ‘just you’ who could not watch anything during (night) feedings. The only thing I could do when I nursed my baby was nurse my baby. Even though we are all doing the same thing we all do parenting a little bit differently. You are doing great!
I am obligated every time merino wool socks come up to tell everyone, darn tough socks are where it’s AT. Local vermont company, Made in america, so comfortable, warm and tough as nails, and they have a LIFETIME GUARANTEE for crying out loud!! You literally send them back when they get a hole and they r give you a gift card for their value, no questions asked. WHAT MORE can we possibly ask for?????! There are so few things that are unequivocally good in this world and darn tough socks are one of them.
I just want you to know that thanks to your comment, I’ve tracked down all their NYC authorized retailers (which ALSO honor the warranty?!) and will be gifting these to all my immediate relatives — along with this useful information, which I too am now obligated to share. xo and THANK YOU.
Same – we’re also a Darn Tough family – and they have a lot of cute styles!!
Yes!! We are a Darn Tough family through and through. They are the best.
Merino socks are genuinely life changing!! And agree that Darn Tough socks are so great – they definitely last for ages and have great customer service. I will caution though that they don’t fit all feet equally – they fit me well before I had babies, but my feet got a bit wider postpartum and now they squeeze me uncomfortably! If you have an outdoor store near you I definitely recommend trying on a few brands – Smartwool fit my husband best (also made in USA) and Icebreaker fit me best (used to be made in New Zealand, now China and limited USA). Also, for anyone with kids, Smartwool and Icebreaker merino blend kids socks are an absolute game changer for winter!! I haven’t seen Darn Tough ones near us, but they might make them too. They are super pricey for sure so we just wait for 30-40% off sales (there are usually a few each year) and I can never go back, our kids are so much more comfortable now. Just wash on cold and air dry (they dry quickly!) and they last forever. You’ll be passing them down to other families who will pass them down to other families. Lastly, along the lines of a random thing learned this year – did you know the only reason that there is still clothing manufactured in the USA is because of the Berry Amendment? I learned that in Avery Truffelman’s new podcast series “Gear” – she was looking at intersections between the outdoor industry and the military (spoiler alert, they are inextricably linked!). As someone who feels very comfortable in outdoorsy spaces and very uncomfortable with the military, it was such an eye opening listen! The series wasn’t as good as “American Ivy”, the one she did on preppy clothes (HIGHLY recommend, for a fascinating, winding fashion history!) but it was very interesting, and worth listening to.
We LOVE Darn Tough. We always give each other new pairs in our stockings…
Wouldn’t it be great to know what Avery Truffelman’s week of outfits is like? (hint, hint!)
Darn Tough company makes the same great merino wool socks with that lifetime guarantee for people with wide feet or wide ankles/calves – company called Wide Open. I can’t stand for my toes to be squished together and these socks are the answer. Really, cute styles, made in Vermont. Long lasting and don’t need to be washed after every wear.
Wow, this year has gone by in a blur… What have I been reading, eating, watching? Good questions! Reading? Well, my most exciting author find in 2025 has been Emily Itami, author of “Fault Lines” and “Kakigori Summer.” These novels about family relationships in Japan are so thoughtful, humorous and heart tugging. Looking forward to what she comes up with next. Recently I finished Catherine Newman’s latest, “Wreck,” and now I’ve gone back to an earlier book of hers, “Catastrophic Happiness.” The dialogue! The musing! The inside peeks at messy motherhood! They’ve captured my heart and when I lie in bed at night, anxiously ruminating about the state of the world and whatever the future holds, hers are the words that manage to get me out of my head, however briefly. Eating? Trying out Fuyu persimmons as a replacement for tomatoes in winter salads – rather nice. Munching on Trader Joe’s “Trail Mix Crackers,” an unlikely sounding cookie/cracker (mung beans?) that I can’t stop inhaling. Watching? Honestly, not much. Am I the only person who really misses old fashioned movie theaters (NOT those soulless multiplexes) that made viewing a film an occasion? (Probably, yes. I am a plodding dinosaur.) We lost our only art house movie theater last year, alas. Watching Netflix in our kitchen just isn’t an immersive experience…
I just borrowed the ebook of Kakigori Summer from my library- thank you!
I really enjoyed Kakigori summer! Definitely underrated.
Maureen, the photo of your daughter trapping her brother in the shower is hilarious! Thank you for sharing! I just finished Vera, or Faith, by Gary Shteyngart, which I loved. I also read The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy this year; it had been on my list for a long time and it is a fun one.
YES to bombas for cold winters! This year my husband got each of us a pair of their Sunday slippers. (https://bombas.com/products/womens-sunday-slippers?variant=cream&size=7) They took a few days to break in – at first the bottoms were soo cushy, but now I don’t even have the words to describe how much I love them. I wear them all(!) the time at home. My husband does too — and he’s never even been bothered by the cold. They’re just so good. We will never do another bombas-slippers-less winter again.
agree on the life-changing magic of good, warm socks (and/or heated pads!), as well as talking about your loved one who is gone. never stop. it magics that person into the room and your heart with you when you do.
The Dinner Table sounds so brilliant and incredible! Then, I saw that if you’re over the age of 45, they don’t want to hear your grief. How lovely.
Hopefully you saw they suggested other resources for people outside the age groups they work with. Sending you comfort
I don’t know that this framing is entirely fair – after reading your comment I looked at their FAQs, and this is how they explain the cut off at 45: “We started The Dinner Party because younger adults are often underserved by the grief community—too old for youth and college grief support services and too young for traditional bereavement groups led by churches and hospice centers, where attendees are often in a different stage of life. By providing our programs to this age range, we’re trying to combat the isolation that comes with being among the first in your peer group to lose someone. And while we wish that we could serve every person in the world who experiences loss (that is to say, nearly everyone at some point in their life), we’ve chosen to focus on what we know best—how to provide peer support for a group of people for whom there are not many, if any, other resources that exist.” Maybe Kelsey or a reader who has experience with them can speak more to this, but that sounds a lot more thoughtful than “If you’re over the age of 45, they don’t want to hear your grief”.
Such a strange, unnecessary restriction.
I wondered about that too..and felt sad, as my mom passed but I’m 51. I looked into it and was looking forward to the community. Maybe they are worried that the older we get the more people we know who pass, and they didn’t want it becoming centered on one age group? Regardless..
As someone who experienced devastating loss at a young age, the traditional grief groups I attended were all folks in their 70s who had lost spouses. My friends didn’t understand- most hadn’t yet joined the horrible club. That came decades later. Grief was deeply lonely and is for everyone, I think, but there is something to be said for helping people in this life stage find each other for support.
I used to be a volunteer grief support group facilitator at a local nonprofit, and we did split up the groups by type of loss and relationship, and roughly by age. While grief has many universal qualities, a 25 year old who has lost a parent has some different experiences of grief than a 65 year old who has lost a parent. I led both types of groups, and the themes that arose were often very different. And so while I agree that it would be awesome if the Dinner Party offered “tables” for all ages, I do think the intentionality behind their programming is actually very thoughtful. And, I know there are resources out there for people above age 45.
Hi Dana. You know, I remember seeing that too when I first signed up, and I was also really stung when I first saw it. I lost my dad at 40, and I’m pretty sure I’ll still be grieving at 45 (I thought, “What, are they going to kick me out?”). When I attended though, most of the folks at my table were in their mid-to-late 30s, and a few of us in our early 40s. I actually forgot about the age policy until I read your comment, because it seemed like such a non-issue in practice. That said, I will make a point of talking to my table’s host at our January meet-up, and see what he says about it. I do understand the founders’ reasoning for focusing on a younger cohort, but it does seem strange. I do wonder if it’s something they’d reconsider (or perhaps they already are) now that the organization has grown larger. I’ll report back. Thanks for reminding me of this.
They absolutely never said they “don’t want to hear” grief from those over 45. Nor is it an “unnecessary restriction,” Nicole. The Dinner Party’s website very clearly articulates that their mission is to fill a legitimate gap in grief support for young adults. As a 38 year old who just lost her father, I can confirm that the grand majority of standard grief support options are aimed at much older adults or kids – it is really comforting to know that TDP fills that gap while those in the categories I just named already have other options. I encourage you to explore them.
The Dinner Party group was a big support for me when my exboyfriend died violently from a mental health episode. I was 28. Very few people in my life understood any kind of loss at all, let alone one wrought with a lot of complicated feelings. The Dinner Party gave me a much needed space to talk about my grief, with people who also felt lonely and isolated because no one else in their orbits knew the sting of loss. At the same time – no one in that group really knew what it was like to lose someone the way I did. Someone that I didn’t exactly miss or have a good relationship with, but I had loved. Someone who in his last moments, killed a random bystander, which led to his own death by the cops. I would have loved to find that group. And who’s to say that if I did find that group, would they also understand the loneliness of being young in this loss? All this to say, would it be great if Dinner Party had older groups as well? Yes! Would it be great if they had groups that focused on complicated loss? Yes!* But that’s not their goal or mission, and I still see the value in that, even as I age out of it. To expect every group out there to have the capacity to serve every need is, in my opinion, unrealistic and unsustainable. At the end of the day, we all want connection, our pain to be heard and seen. And I hope that we can all find that. *I do think the Dinner Party has gotten better at matching people to groups based on similar kinds of loss, so maybe this does exist now!
I lost my brother when I was 30 to a climbing accient, and my sister two years later to suicide. I don’t think my grief is more important than someone else’s, but it’s just not the same as someone in their sixties losing their parents, for instance. The loss of decades and decades that we thought we would have together cuts so deeply (my brother was 26 and my sister was 19). It would be nice if The Dinner Table could perhaps expand but still keep separate age groups for different needs.
Lost my mom at 35 and my daughter at 40. None of my peers understood. Wish I’d known about this then. I will never get over the joy of saying my daughter’s name. Makes some other people (see – the people who didn’t get it and still don’t; lucky them) uncomfortable but makes me so happy.
Came here to say your kids and toddlers are SO precious and cute. Hang in to the toddler mom ❤️ As you know, it gets MUCH easier soon
My sister gave me a banana hat as a gift! It sounds vaguely dirty but it’s actually just a tiny little crocheted hat that you put on a bunch of bananas. It keeps them yellow longer but it also makes them look hilarious, like the bananas are wearing a beanie! Wish I could post a photo!
The banana trick really works. You just have to be okay with seven bananas laid out on the counter and having them become a bigger part of your life. Thanks to my mom for the tip!
FREDDIE!!!!!!!!!
Celebrity sighting!
Freddie! 👀👀
Ha, ha, ha. I’ll try it but my children – the hungry ones until I say the word “banana” – would prefer bananas to be a much, much smaller part of their lives.
This came out in 2011, but I recently tore through “A Singular Woman” which is a biography of Obama’s mom Stanley Ann Durham. It’d be easy to pivot to her son, but it stays focused on Durham and the accomplished and fascinating life she led as an anthropologist and you can see the resolute hand and influence she had on raising her son. It’s by Janny Scott and I think is a worthy celebration of an incredible woman in her own right. Here’s a gift link to article adaptation of the book! https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/24/magazine/mag-24Obama-t.html?unlocked_article_code=1.908.BEnz.ft1qBDzXHGZe&smid=nytcore-ios-share
When I read Dreams from my Father, I realised the only person who I wanted to read about was his mother. Obama seems (to me) a less interesting even though vastly more high profile and successful person than his mother..
Books: The Names by Florence Knapp, Heart the Lover by Lily King, Isola by Allegra Goodman. Music: Lux, Rosalía; Tigers Blood, Waxahatchee; For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), Japanese Breakfast; Face Down In the Garden, Tennis; Moisturizer, Wet Leg Shows/Movies: The Beast in Me, Death by Lightning, Dept Q, The Residence, House of Guinness, Chad Powers, Severance, Fisk Something I learned: Spanish via comprehensible input (life-changing!!)
Can you please say more about how you learned Spanish via comprehensible input? Is there a program that you used? I am intrigued.
I’ve had several friends become fluent in Spanish this way and I finally took the plunge this year. I still need another year for fluency but it’s already made a massive difference in my ability to communicate and understand native Spanish speakers. I use Dreaming Spanish.com They have a lot of free content on YouTube but on their website they have over 1500 hours of input videos for $8/month. You literally just watch native speakers speak about a wide variety of different topics, the speed at which they speak and the grammar and vocabulary used gets progressively more difficult. You learn it the same way you learned your native language as a baby….hours and hours and hours of listening to native speakers talk to you. It’s great! I also use podcasts “Cuéntame” and “Chill Spanish” at first and now more advanced podcasts.
Lux is my album of the year!! It’s gorgeous and moving and I honestly don’t even understand most of the lyrics.
Yes to Isola, The House of Guinness and The Beast In Me.
Thank you, Jen! I am going to check the podcasts and Dreaming Spanish out. I am feeling encouraged. Thank you for sharing!!
Those Bombas merino wool socks are incredible!! My feet are always cold Quince also makes a dupe
Also, Costco has lovely women’s merino wool socks this time of year. My daughter and I love them.
I discovered the Ordinary’s cold pressed rose hip oil. It absorbs quickly and isn’t greasy. I switched to a memory foam mattress and the comfort is unreal.
Hi, is Jannelle still at Cup of Jo?
Yes, see opening paragraph! She’s on mat leave for her third baby xoxo
Yes, I saw that right after posting- so sorry! Glad to hear that she’ll be back!
Also, love to see Cup of Jo giving 5ish months maternity leave!
I started a book club with some other moms in 2025 and it has been so wonderful to connect and talk with these women! I also started going to a chiropractor this year and it has been the healing self care I didn’t know I needed. Highly recommend if you’re into that sort of thing!
I loved Awake by Jen Hatmaker and All the Way to the River by Elizabeth Gilbert. I continue to be obsessed with the black lip balm by Finding Ferdinand (my favorite beauty product of all time!) And I recently discovered that Frownies patches actually work (especially on the forehead). I also love their Chin Up peptide neck mask and the Collagen neck mask (can you tell I DON’t love my neck? lol) I struggle with screen addiction (who doesn’t?) so I am very excited to try the Brick! I asked for it for Christmas. I discovered Falcon enamelware which is soooo gorgeous and I’m giving it for gifts. Also, I got a library card this year! It feels so old-fashioned in the best way to check out books. Oh, and I finally watched Casablanca– it’s all it’s cracked up to be.
Loved All The Way to The River!
Favorite book of the year: the novella “Even Though I Knew the End” by C.L. Polk. It’s a fusion of film noir private eye, magical investigation, lesbian romance, and deals with the devil. It was absolutely perfect from start to finish. Favorite TV show: Physical Asia. It’s a Korean reality show where teams of athletic people from countries around Asia compete with each other in TRULY INSANE challenges. My husband and I don’t watch or understand sports, but we would cheer so passionately for our favorites every episode that we started to understand how sports fans feel. Favorite movie: K-Pop Demon Hunters. I adore musicals and k-dramas, so this was an easy win for me; but more surprisingly, my husband (who hates musicals and mostly watches Survivor and niche sci-fi shows) absolutely loved it, and can’t stop playing the soundtrack. Favorite new activity: Fostering dogs! Both our dogs passed away last year, and while we still don’t feel ready to adopt more, we decided earlier this year to start fostering them through a local medical rescue group. It’s been SO challenging, exhausting, and fulfilling. I get my dog fix, and the dogs get a warm and snuggly home to recuperate from their medical procedures in. Doing this has helped make the absolute insanity of 2025 feel more bearable.
I read Even Though I Knew the End a year or two ago and LOVED it. Everything C.L. Polk writes is excellent, but I devoured that particular book in an afternoon and bawled my eyes out at the ending. So good!
Thank you for being a foster mom! I want to do that when I’m retired and home full time. You’re doing so much good in the world by loving and caring for those dogs.
Guys, Concerts are my life hack. I went to concerts with the whole fam, with friends, with my husband. I went to a music festival, the new outdoor venue and small clubs. I will go to as many concerts as I can forever and always. If you need to feel something, there’s no better way. Shout out to bands: Medium Build, Colony House, Ondara, Maggie Fucking Rogers, Dawes, Wilder Woods, HAFFWAY, Donovan woods and many more.
I agree with this life hack – it works!
I endorse this!!!!
Haha I can hear your joy in “Maggie Fucking Rogers”
YES! I never regret the money I spend on concerts or travel.
I saw Medium Build and became obsessed this fall and it brings me a lot of joy 🥹
Yesss, concerts! Little tight on cash right now, but I’m still strongly considering dishing out for Charley Crockett tickets – the #2 most-played artist on my Spotify Wrapped this year. It really does feel akin to a spiritual experience.
YES! Concerts truly kept me going this year. Gregory Alan Isakov with the Chicago Philharmonic accompanying was unreal
I’m going to a concert with a friend, and I’m nervous. When I was young, concerts meant: drinking, running into other young people I knew, flirting or making out with strangers. I’ll be driving to this concert, so no drinking. I’m married, so no flirting or making out. I don’t know people anymore, so no fun socializing. I think this might even be a seated show. So, what do people do? Just stare at the performer for two hours? How is this fun? I wish I never agreed to go to this concert. My friend is going to think I’m a weirdo and I’m in for hours of boredom. Help!
Yes!! I went to my first concert in years this Fall – to see Spoon – and feeling the music and being outside was amaaaaazing. It inspired me to go see another long time favorite, Lucius, at ACL and that was just as life affirming. More concerts, please!!!
Yes! Adding live local theater, too! Our kids are old enough to be left at home by themselves or come with us, and it’s been SO FUN to get back into concerts and shows again! A favorite this year was seeing Guster for the fifth time on their We Also Have Eras Tour (giggle snort). And Saint Motel, who know how to do a live show!
Okay, I’ll confess: I’m really looking forward to the Backstreet Boys concert in Germany next year! And trust me: I, and the rest of the 40-somethings-acting-like-16-again in the arena, and hopefully the Backstreet Boys-acting-like-20 too, will have the times of our lives! The true magic of concerts is singing together! Sitting, standing, had a bad day/week/month/year: it doesn’t matter. Most people become truly happy when singing along with other people to songs that give them joy or are precious to them.
@ MISS I – Emma Straub has a book coming out this year about ‘a newly divorced woman joining a themed cruise with members of her favorite 90s boy band’ which you should look out for! This Time Tomorrow by her was simply amazing so I’m really excited for more Emma Straub writing.
@kiki I totally get it. I don’t love all sit down concerts either. But what I do like is being sober at shows (I’m more awake!) and dressing up cute. I people watch, focus on the performers, and marvel at their gifts. Enjoy the break in routine from the drudgery of life. Hope you find something to enjoy about it <3
The 2025 book I haven’t stopped thinking about is Angel Down by Daniel Kraus, and the 2025 read that kept me buoyed and brave is the Substack Chop Wood, Carry Water. For anyone needing a cozy end-of-year watch, may I recommend the show Escape to the Country? It’s on Britbox but also YouTube. I also must thank whatever commenter recommended, quite a long time ago, Walks with My Dog. Something about ordinary people in beautiful UK places brings my blood pressure down VERY effectively. :)
Thank you for reminding about Escape to The Country! It was my postpartum/early-COVID comfort watch — so good.
The hard boiled egg scene in Severance Season 2 is truly weird and worth watching….